Following a surprise appearance at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors announced the seven-seat Orlando concept would be making the transition to production model. However, GM’s financial outlook has worsened since the Detroit show, forcing the Michigan-based automaker to indefinitely suspend the Orlando program.
The Orlando – which shares its Delta platform with the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze and Volt – was slated to begin rolling out GM’s Hamtramck plant just in time for the 2011 model year, but a UAW representative says those plans have been postponed indefinitely.
UAW Local 22 president George McGregor revealed to Automotive News that GM hasn’t made any efforts to ready the Hamtramck for Orlando production.
Rumors surfaced during the fall of 2008 that GM had cancelled its U.S. MPV plans, but the appearance of the Orlando concept at the Detroit show was thought to have dispelled those rumblings. However, it looks likely that plans for a U.S. built Chevrolet MPV are all but off the table.
That being said, a seven-seat MPV for the U.S. market hasn’t been completely ruled out. The Orlando will make production in Europe and Asia, with the prospect of an imported model not completely out of the cards for Chevrolet. Given the Orlando’s not-too-distant launch date, we expect GM to chime in on the subject in the coming months.
